by Cindy Thomas on February 18, 2010
by Cindy Thomas on February 18, 2010
Try this delicious frugal recipe for Pineapple Pork Chops with Spicy Slaw. Cost per serving: This is a full meal deal that can be made for approximately $1.73 per serving. The chops can also be cooked in the broiler 4 inches from the heat source for the same period of time.
Serves: 4
4 boneless pork chops
1 1/2 t salt, divided
1 1/2 t chili powder, divided
1/2 fresh pineapple, cored and sliced
3 T of cider vinegar
2 T of orange juice
2 T of olive oil
1 T sugar
1/3 head of green cabbage, cored and shredded
1/2 of a red onion, sliced thin
1 red sweet pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1/4 t pepper
1. Sprinkle the pork chops on both sides with 1 t salt.
2. Sprinkle the 1 t chili powder on to the pork chops on both sides.
3. Preheat a gas grill to the medium heat temperature.
4. Place the pork chops and pineapple slices on the heated grill and cover.
5. Grill 8 minutes or until the internal temperature of the pork chops reaches 160 degrees, being sure to turn once during cooking.
6. Place the remaining chili powder into a mixing bowl.
7. Add the vinegar and orange juice and whisk slightly.
8. Pour in the olive oil.
9. Add the sugar and whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the ingredients are incorporated together well.
10. Place the cabbage, onion and sweet pepper into a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.
11. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat well.
12. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/2 t salt and the pepper and toss again to combine.
13. Serve the pork chops with the pineapple over the top and the slaw on the side.
Popularity: 44% [?]
by Cindy Thomas on February 18, 2010
I’ve recently been granted to take over the freebies group, 1000 Quality Freebies, a long time Yahoo freebies group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/1000_Quality_Freebies
The group’s owner had disappeared long ago, leaving the group to spammers posting yucky stuff. Over the course of three to four days, we have deleted hundreds of thousands of messages (all of them!) to totally start over.
We are wanting to jump start the group again, bring it back to life, to what it was intended for… freebies and coupons. So I am asking my readers here to join up and share their freebies and coupons. Even where you found a cool freebie or what you thought about the freebie… where you find a coupon that you like, etc.
The group posts are moderated to keep the icky spam out. (There was a lot of that!!). Also group membership is moderated to keep the spammers out (or try to, at least). When joining, just say you are a reader of my frugal blog and I will approve your membership.
So come on and join and spread the word to your friends!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/1000_Quality_Freebies
Popularity: 94% [?]
by Cindy Thomas on February 18, 2010
With the cost of living skyrocketing, it’s crucial that families practice a more frugal lifestyle. Following are some simple frugal living tips that can help anyone live a more frugal life, without skimping on living.
1. Make more meals into frugal meals by cooking and eating at home. Basic staple frugal foods such as rice, dry beans or peas, homemade breads, pancakes, oatmeal, and other such food items can be eaten alone or combined into other frugal recipes.
2. Look for generic brands rather than name brands for medicines, personal items, and food. It’s a fact that name brand companies package generic and store brands, using the same product but a different packaging label.
3. Save money on pet grooming costs by learning to groom your pet.
4. Keep your car tuned up and tires properly inflated to save money on gas.
5. Rent movies instead of buying the DVD. Unless you are a person that watches the same movie over and over, renting a movie is a more frugal choice.
6. Combine cleaning products. Instead of buying an individual cleaning product for everything that needs cleaning, try buying multi-use products.
7. Buy generic dryer sheets, cut them all in half, and reuse them more than once. Clothes that hang can finish drying hanging, cutting drying time and saving money on the cost of caring for clothing.
8. Look for refills on products you use often. Usually refills are priced lower.
9. Shop online! With the rising gas prices, the cost of shipping might be less than putting gas in the tank.
Popularity: 89% [?]
by Cindy Thomas on February 18, 2010
There was a time that people lived just fine by cooking and eating at home, when eating out was a special treat and buying foods already prepared was just about unheard of. The idea of drinking water from a bottle was certainly unheard of. How the children all managed to grow up just fine without each one owning a cell phone is still a mystery to many of us.
Times have indeed changed. So many younger people today are getting married, having children, and have little or no idea how to survive financially. While it’s true the cost of living is going up, it’s not true that a family has to go broke trying to make it.
In today’s world, a lot of people want to save money but either don’t know where to start (not even the basics!), or they just don’t want to live differently in order to save money. You have to want to cut some corners in order to budget better.
While the following frugal tips will not be for everyone, incorporating some or all of these frugal living tips into your daily life will save you money and help you live a better life.
Some frugal living tips to help you save money and live on less:
1. Cook from scratch. Buying prepackaged foods runs up the grocery bill. Buying foods that you actually have to cook not only saves money, but you get much more food for your money.
2. Use leftovers. Freeze leftovers or use them within three days to make an entirely different meal. Plain rice can become Spanish rice, plain noodles can become stroganoff, boiled eggs can become tuna salad, etc.
3. Drink more tap water. Buying bottled water is only necessary if your tap water isn’t the cleanest and to store for emergencies. Buy reusable plastic water bottles for taking along with you on the go.
4. Make extra luxuries just that. Instead of spending money on the same high priced items over and over, cut down on some high dollar items and treat yourself to them less often, making them more of a treat.
5. Buy second hand. Look for used items you need for the home rather than buying brand new. While obviously some things we want to purchase new, buying second hand can save loads of money. Often older things are made better than the newer things today, making it an even better bargain for your money.
6. Consolidate cleaning supplies. Instead of having a cleaner for this and a cleaner for that, try consolidating. Plain soap, baking soda, and vinegar will clean a lot. Generic window cleaner works fine, generic disinfectant wipes work just as good as the name brand, etc.
7. Use cloth diapers. Save the disposable diapers for traveling and shopping and perhaps for sleeping time. Cloth diapers are not only better for Baby’s bottom, they save a lot of money because they are washable and reusable. Today’s cloth diapers come basic and prefolded. While the prefolds will of course cost a bit more than the basic ones, it’s still a better choice both for your piggy bank and for Baby’s bottom.
Popularity: 53% [?]
